419 scam: "Microsoft Award Team" <info@microsft.com> Attention E-mail User

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
1. They don't notify winners by email.
2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- m-awrd012ireland@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Microsoft Award Team" <info@microsft.com>
Reply-To: m-awrd012ireland@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 22:53:18 +0200
Subject: Attention E-mail User

Microsoft Award Team
20 North circular road, Dublin 7,
Republic of Ireland.
Batch number.....16/12/0011
Ref number.......MSN-L/212-34441
Winning/Ticket number..PL7866

Award Notification

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of one million
Great British Pounds (1,000.000.00 GBP) from the New Edition
2012 Lottery promotion which is organized by Windows Live and Microsoft
Windows (Ireland)

Your email addresses was electronically selected from all active
online emails address, among the millions that subscribed, we only
selected five people this Month as our winners via our electronic
balloting System without you applying. We congratulate you for being
one of the people selected.

PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM

You are to contact your Claims Agent with immediate effect to
facilitate the protocol of your winning prized before the date of
Claim, Winners Shall be paid in accordance with his/her
Settlement Centre and Prize must be claimed not later than 15 days
from date of Draw in which Prize was won. Any prize not claimed within
this period will be forfeited and never get to you.

These are your identification numbers:
Batch number...................16/12/0011
Ref number....................MSN-L/212-34441
Winning/Ticket number..........PL7866 .
cash prize of £1,000.000.00 GBP

To begin your claim please contact our licensed and accredited agent
assigned to you

(CONTACT EVENTS MANAGER)
Name: Mrs Susan O' Connor
Email: m-awrd012ireland@hotmail.com
Tel :+353-89-9633789

You are therefore advised to send the following information to the
claims agent to facilitate them and in order for them to have access
in proceeding with the transferred of your funds to your designated
bank account.

1.Full Names:
2.Home Address:
3.Phone Number:
4.Sex:
5.Age:
6.Occupation:
7.Nationality:
8.Country of Residence:
9.Amount Won:
10.Date Notified:

Microsoft Lottery Prize must be claimed not later than 15 days,
starting from the day you received the notification. Any prize not
claimed within this period will be forfeited.

Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address
that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this
message except the verification manager Mrs Susan O' Connor,
Email: m-awrd012ireland@hotmail.com

Yours in service.
Microsoft Award Team

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam